As you may know, Erin and I ventured away from the plant kingdom last Spring with a foray into bee-keeping. We needed animals that could look after themselves while we were off in town three days a week, and bees seemed to be about the only candidates. You might have read the account of our somewhat bumpy start with the bees in last year's newsletters. But our charges acclimated themselves well despite our ineptitude, and all appeared well until they started to outgrow their nesting chamber in July.

We've leaped across the 'cross quarter' point (the 1st 1/8th point) in the solar year, the wood chuck has been roused from his den to see if it's cloudy or clear, we've finished cleaning trays and pots and have started to seed the first rounds of alliums and herbs, we've checked on our bees, pruned the fruit trees and shrubs and continue to take stock of phenology and finances. In February the ground starts to slowly wake up toward spring, the light's intensity get's noticeably stronger, lambs are being born, and we start to plant seeds for the CSA season and seed intentions for the year ahead.